#655 - Rico Carty

Card fact: Rico Carty is airbrushed into an Indians cap and uniform. I can only guess at what uniform he was really wearing. He played for Texas, the Cubs and Oakland in 1973 and in 33 games for Cleveland in 1974.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it. The first Carty card I saw was his 1976 Topps card in that magnificent red Indians uniform.

What I think about this card now: Kind of a dorky grin there. Pleasant enough, but dorky.

Other stuff: Nicknamed "Beeg Mon," Carty could hit from the word go. In his first full season with the Braves in 1964, he hit .330, finished second in the league in hitting and second in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting.

Carty put up some big years in eight seasons with the Braves, winning a batting title in 1970 with a .366 average (he also knocked in 101 runs and blasted 25 homers), hitting in 31 straight games that year, and batting .342 in the Braves' pennant-winning season in 1969.

But Carty missed two full seasons in 1968 and 1971, the first battling tuberculosis, and the second with a broken knee, suffered in a collision while playing winter ball. Carty was eventually dealt to Texas because of disputes with teammates.

In fact, Carty didn't see eye-to-eye with several famed players, including Hank Aaron with the Braves, Ron Santo with the Cubs, and Frank Robinson with the Indians. Carty revived his career in Cleveland, batting .308 in 1975 and pounding out 171 hits in 1976. But the Indians left him available in the expansion draft.

The Blue Jays selected him, but then traded him back to Cleveland a month later (they faked out Topps, which airbrushed Carty into a Blue Jays uniform in the 1977 set, even though he didn't play for Toronto in '77). Cleveland traded Carty back to Toronto after the 1977 season. Carty then spent the rest of his career with the A's and Blue Jays, finishing in 1979. He set a career-high with 31 home runs in 1978.

(EDIT: Rico Carty died at age 85 on Nov. 24, 2024).

Back facts: Those double "on disabled list" lines are jarring. I noticed Carty's double misfortune on the back of his 1976 card.

Also, that's an adequate attempt on a JFK likeness in the cartoon. I wonder what makes the cartoonist decide to attempt a likeness sometimes but not others.

Other blog stuff: Bill Murray and Larry Hagman were both born on this date. They each were kind of notable in the '70s.

#643 - Brent Strom

Card fact: Brent Strom is wearing an airbrushed Padres cap (a not very accurate one, too). He was likely wearing an Indians cap, or less likely, one from a minor league team.

What I thought about this card then: Ladies and gentlemen, as kids we may have made fun of other players' cards more, but there was only one card of a player we made fun of first. And that card was the '75 Topps Brent Strom card. I specifically remember my brother and I mocking his name -- overemphasizing the sound it made when you pronounced the first name and last name together. It didn't help that he was wearing that weird painted cap and that his career ERA on the back was 5.06 or his career record was 2-13.

What I think about this card now: It's really not so bad. Except for that airbrushing job.

Other stuff: Strom was a star pitcher for national champion USC in college. He eventually signed with the Mets as the third pick overall in 1970. After three years in the minors, he came up with New York in 1972 and went 0-3. The Mets dealt him to the Indians after the season.

Strom didn't fair much better with the Indians, going 2-10 in 1973. He didn't play in the majors in 1974, but was sent to the Padres as a player-to-be-named that year. Strom pitched three seasons for San Diego, starting 33 games in 1976 and going 12-16.

Elbow injuries got in the way and Strom was released. He pitched in the minors through 1981, including a final year in the Dodgers organization (I remember seeing him the minors in Albuquerque and recalling our childish mocking with chagrin). He later became a pitching coach for several minor and major league teams, and is now a pitching instructor for the Cardinals.

Back facts: I'm a little curious as to why Strom got a card in this set. He didn't play in the majors at all in 1974. We noticed this as kids, spotting the Oklahoma City and Hawaii team names.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, the Reds clinched the division -- the earliest clinching in history. And people complain that there are no pennant races in today's game.

#640 - Harmon Killebrew

Card fact: This is the final Topps card issued of Harmon Killebrew during his playing career. He had appeared in just about every Topps flagship set from 1955-75 (he's not in the 1957 set).

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I thought he looked pretty old.

What I think about this card now: It's funny how little I noticed when I was a kid. It never dawned on me then that Killebrew is signing an autograph. And, of course, now I recognize that there is a partial tobacco advertisement in the photo. It's really one of the better photos in the set.

Other stuff: I always have trouble writing about the most well-known stars on this blog. What do I say?

I just wrote about Killebrew after his recent death. Killebrew was one of the greats, both as a player and a person. I was just getting to know baseball when Killebrew retired. I never saw him play. I would have been interested in seeing him in a Kansas City Royals uniform, which is where he spent his final season in 1975. But I really didn't actively watch baseball until 1976 or 1977.

It's easy for some to forget that Killebrew was among the top five home run hitters of all-time for quite awhile. Right up there with Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Frank Robinson.

I remember Killebrew mostly as a broadcaster.

Back facts: Rick Burleson (149 in 1980) and Roy Smalley (144 in 1979) have each surpassed Bobby Wine's double play record for shortstops.

Other blog stuff: This is probably the last opportunity on the blog to show the mini card next to the regular card, so here goes:

I may have a few more of these for you over on my other blog over the weekend. Stay tuned.

#638 - Cubs/Jim Marshall

Card fact: This is the final team card in the set. I'll commemorate it by noting which color combinations were used with each team:

1. Orange-yellow (8): Yankees, Braves, Reds, Rangers, Twins, Angels, Royals, Phillies
2. Brown-orange (6): Cubs, A's, Astros, Dodgers, Giants, Orioles
3. Tan-light blue (6): Mets, Pirates, White Sox, Cardinals, Red Sox, Padres
4. Brown-tan (4): Brewers, Indians, Expos, Tigers

What I thought about this card then: Zzzzzzzzzzz. Team card.

What I think about this card now: Well, first, it's probably the most out-of-focus, far-away team photo in the whole set, which might explain why the Cubs stuck with floating head team cards for most of the '70s and early '80s.

Secondly, I still don't know why the Cubs went with the team pose and the White Sox the floating heads in '75 when it was flip-flopped all the other years.

Other stuff: The Cubs finished dead last in 1974, their first last-place finish since 1966. Jim Marshall replaced Whitey Lockman as manager in the middle of the season. Marshall would last two more sub-.500 seasons before Herman Franks took over for the 1977 season.

(EDIT: Jim Marshall died Sept. 7, 2025 at age 95).

Back facts: Darold Knowles, Bob Locker and Manny Trillo are all listed on the Cubs checklist although none played for the team in '74. All are airbrushed into Cubs caps.

Other blog stuff: One last opportunity to see how well Topps represented a team from the 1974 season. Let's see how many Cubs from '74 were in the Topps set.

The Cubs used 38 players in 1974, including a bunch of guys I never knew (Herb Hutson? Ron Dunn?). Topps featured 26 of those players, including Billy Williams as an airbrushed Athletic, and Horacio Pina as an airbrushed Angel.

My quest to see if Topps left out anyone significant is rather pointless with the Cubs, because it's the Cubs! Come on! The guy with the most at-bats who didn't get a card is Dave Rosello. He hit .203 in 148 at-bats. Rob Sperring also didn't get a card. He hit .206 in 107 at-bats.

So Topps kindly represented 68.42% of the '74 Cubs in the '75 set.

This is where they rank with the other teams:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Braves 77.78%
5. Reds 77.14%
6. A's 75.0%
7. Dodgers 74.29%
7. Astros 74.29%
9. Giants 71.43%
10. Indians 71.11%
11. Royals 70.59%
12. Yankees 70.45%
13. Red Sox 70.27%
14. Angels 68.89%

15. Cubs 68.42%

16. Expos 68.29%

17. Brewers 66.67%
18. Rangers 65.79%
19. Cardinals 65.12%
20. White Sox 65.0%
21. Phillies 62.5%
22. Mets 62.16%
23. Pirates 61.5%

24. Padres 55.8%

That's all of them! The Twins are better represented in the set than any other team. How about that?

And my real mission was to see if anyone major was left out of the set as has been the case in some other Topps sets. I wasn't able to find anyone significant, though, in the '75 set.

#591 - Glenn Abbott

Card fact: This is Glenn Abbott's first solo card. He appeared on a four-player rookie card in the '74 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see this one. But Abbott's smile on his 1976 Topps card was a little alarming to me.

What I think about this card now: There aren't a lot of A's cards in the set that do not have a green or yellow border. This is only the sixth A's player card without either color in the border.

Other stuff: Abbott was a starter and reliever for the A's, Mariners and Tigers. He was selected by Seattle in the expansion draft of 1976 and was one of the team's top pitchers in its first year with the club. I always wondered what it was like to go from a team at the top of baseball, like the A's, to a brand new, lousy team like the Mariners. Must've been eye-opening.

While with the A's, Abbott was part of the first four-pitcher no-hitter as Oakland blanked the Angels on the last day of the 1975 season. Vida Blue started that game and lasted five innings. Abbott came in to pitch a perfect sixth inning.

Abbott pitched longer than any of the original Mariners, lasting through 1983. After his career ended in 1984, Abbott eventually went into coaching and is a minor league pitching coach for the Mets.

Back facts: The cartoon seems kind of random. The A.L. Fireman of the Year in 1964? McBean had a great year with the Pirates in '64, but not sure why it was worth mentioning here.

Other stuff: I have finished re-scanning the remaining cards in the set whose scans I had lost. I'm noticing the re-scans of the backs might be a little light. I'll have to tinker with that.

Also, while re-scanning, I updated the count on my total mini cards. It was all out of whack. The total is now correct in the labels.

#561 - A's/Alvin Dark

Card fact: The A's had the best damn team cards in history. You cannot argue this point without showing your bias. Best. Damn. Team. Cards.

What I thought about this card then: As you know, I didn't think much of team cards as a kid, but I'm sure I thought this was slightly cool.

What I think about this card now: I wonder how much time it took the photographer to line up the players in alternating uniform colors? Or did they have it down to a science since they did it every year?

Other stuff: Alvin Dark makes his first appearance with the Oakland A's as he replaced Dick Williams as manager for the 1974 season. Dark would lead the A's to their third consecutive World Series title. He would last until the end of the '75 season, getting fired by Charlie Finley after the A's lost in the ALCS to the Red Sox.

Dark was in his fourth of five major league managing stints. He also managed the Giants (he was the third manager to lead teams from both leagues to the World Series), Kansas City A's, Indians and Padres. Dark is the oldest surviving manager of a World Series-winning team.

Back facts: Many familiar names there, but of course I get the biggest kick out of "Washington, H./PR"

Other blog stuff: Let's see how well Topps represented the World Champions of 1974 in the '75 set.

Oakland used 36 players in 1974. Topps featured 27 of those players in the set, including Darold Knowles airbrushed into a Cubs cap. It also featured Billy Williams as an Oakland A, even though he didn't play for them in 1974.

Topps didn't skip any major contributors to the A's team, but there is one player who played quite a bit in '74 who did not get a card in 1975.

Deron Johnson began with the A's and played in 110 games total in 1974. He was dealt from Oakland to Milwaukee in June of 1974 (for Bill Parsons, who did get a card). Then, in September, he was purchased by the Red Sox and finished the season in Boston.

Topps must have either thrown up its hands at Johnson's ever-changing team ways, or it was scared off by his .171 average in 351 at-bats. The thing that I find amusing is Topps did feature Johnson as a Red Sox player in the 1976 set. But the Red Sox released him in October of 1975 before the '76 set even came out. Johnson played for the White Sox for most of '75 before getting dealt back to the Red Sox at the end of September. Topps wisely chose not to feature him in the 1977 set.

Anyway, Topps featured 75 percent of the team in its 75 set. Here is where the A's rank:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Reds 77.14%
5. A's 75.0%
6. Dodgers 74.29%
6. Astros 74.29%
8. Giants 71.43%
9. Indians 71.11%
10. Royals 70.59%
11. Red Sox 70.27%
12. Angels 68.89%
13. Expos 68.29%
14. Brewers 66.67%
15. Rangers 65.79%
16. Cardinals 65.12%
17. White Sox 65.0%
18. Phillies 62.5%
19. Mets 62.16%
20. Pirates 61.5%
21. Padres 55.8%

#548 - Charlie Sands

Card fact: This is the final card issued of Charlie Sands during his career. It is also one of three cards in the set of Angels catchers. Tom Egan and Ellie Rodriguez are the other two. All three are posed in catcher's crouches.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't see it. Sands was another one of those players I had never heard of until trying to complete the set decades later.

What I think about this card now: You've got to give Sands bonus points for wearing the chest protector and the shin guards. Neither Egan nor Rodriguez went that far.

Other stuff: Sands was a backup catcher for the Yankees, Pirates, Angels and A's between 1967-75. Sands played in just one game with the Yankees in '67, but stayed the entire season with the big league team because he was a Rule V draft pick-up.

After 1967, Sands didn't play in the majors again until 1971. He had one at-bat for the Pirates in the 1971 World Series.

Sands is also known for catching all 29 innings of what was once the longest game in professional baseball. Playing for the Miami Marlins on June 15, 1966, Sands helped the team beat the St. Petersburg Cardinals (coached by Sparky Anderson) 4-3.

The record for the longest pro game is now the famed 33-inning affair between Pawtucket and Rochester in 1981. But that game was suspended in the 32nd inning and resumed two months later. The 29-inning game remains the longest uninterrupted professional game.

One other thing: Sands was the only major league player by the name of Sands until future Dodger great Jerry Sands was called up to the majors this year. The two are not related.

(EDIT: Charlie Sands died on Aug. 22, 2016)

Back facts: John Summers definitely is known more by his nickname "Champ." Champ Summers would play 11 major league seasons, mostly for the Reds and Tigers and appear in the World Series with San Diego.

Also, the copy writer on this card must have a lisp. I'm pretty certain "missed" does not have three s's.

Other blog stuff: Speaking of Ellie Rodriguez, he turns 65 today.

#546 - John Knox

Card fact: This is John Knox's first solo card. He appeared on one of the 4-player rookie cards in the 1974 set.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. Knox is another one of those players that I didn't even know existed until I started to put together the set again in 2004.

What I think about this card now: It's amazing how many of the backgrounds on these cards make the player look like he's the last person on earth. Where is everyone?

Other stuff: Knox played four seasons in the majors, all for the Tigers, between 1972-75. The 1974 season was his best, when he appeared in a career-high 55 games, had a career-high 88 at-bats and hit .307.

Despite a career .274 average, Knox was only a part-time player -- known more for his fielding -- for Detroit. He was also used as a pinch-runner.

Back facts: There is even a baseball card set that commemorates the Mets' trip to Japan in 1974.

Other blog stuff: Former Dodgers pitcher Tommy John was born on this date 68 years ago.

#543 - Larry Biittner

Card fact: Larry Biittner returns to a Topps set after being left out of the 1974 set.

What I thought about this card then: Didn't know about it.

What I think about this card now: My, what a big glove you have Mr. Biittner.

Other stuff: This is the second straight card of a player who competed for both the Senators and the Rangers. Pete Broberg and Larry Biittner were teammates on that first Texas Rangers team.

Biittner was a good contact hitter, but didn't have much power for someone who played first base. His best season came with the Cubs in 1977 when he played in a career-high 138 games, hit 28 doubles and batted .298. Overall, he played for the Senators, Rangers, Expos, Cubs and Reds.

Biittner's role in the second half of his career was as a pinch-hitter and he became quite successful, finishing 12th all-time in total pinch hits at the end of his career with 95. Biittner was also the first free agent signed by the Reds. Cincinnati famously avoided signing free agents during the late '70s before finally jumping in with the Biittner signing in 1981.

(EDIT: Larry Biittner died on Jan. 2, 2022 at age 75).

Back facts: The information about Biittner being a pitcher is notable because he was once called upon to pitch while with the Cubs in 1977. Chicago trailed Montreal 13-3 when Biittner took the mound. He allowed six more runs, but struck out three batters.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1956, the Pirates' Dale Long hits a home run in the ninth inning against the Cubs. He will hit home runs in each of the next seven games to set a record. It is later equaled by Don Mattingly in 1987.

#541 - Roger Metzger

Card fact: The card that features the most squiggles in the player's signature. Look at that thing. I dare you to try to replicate that with an Etch-a-Sketch.

What I thought about this card then: This is one of the many cards I received from my friend in my very first trade. Although I should rephrase that as "my very first non-relative trade." I'm sure I traded with my brother before this point.

What I think about this card now: Back on the prairie with the Astros. But Roger Metzger looks happy about it.

Other stuff: Metzger is considered by some as the best shortstop the Astros ever had, which I suppose could be true considering his best competition is Craig Reynolds and a player who never got to fulfill his full potential (Dickie Thon). Metzger was a good fielder and speedy runner. He was a triples machine. But he didn't hit very much at all, batting .231 for his career.

Metzger played eight seasons for Houston, from 1971-78. He started out with the Cubs in 1970, and finished up with the Giants between 1978-80. He famously suffered an offseason incident in which he cut off the tips of four fingers in a tablesaw accident prior to the 1980 season.

Metzger became a school teacher after his major league career.

Back facts: It was all about Hank in 1975.

Also, I'm glad to know that "Roger can always be counted upon to come with the big play." Never mind those stats there then.

Other blog stuff: How about a look at that card I obtained in my first trade?

An oldie but goodie.

#538 - Duffy Dyer

Card fact: Duffy Dyer is airbrushed into a Pirates cap (duh!). He was traded from the Mets to the Pirates in late October of 1974 for Gene Clines.

What I thought about this card then: I never saw it. But we thought Dyer looked very goofy on his 1976 Topps card.

What I think about this card now: Wondering who the man in the background is. I'm assuming Dyer is posing there in Shea Stadium with his Mets teammates. But the man in the back looks more like an umpire.

Other stuff: Dyer was your typical "defensive catcher" between 1968-81. He played a supporting role behind Jerry Grote with the early 1970s Mets. He appeared for one at-bat in the 1969 World Series.

With the Pirates, he backed up Manny Sanguillen until Sanguillen was dealt to Oakland. Dyer then teamed with Ed Ott behind the plate. I always thought the Duffy Dyer-Ed Ott combination was the best catching platoon name combo in history.

After Dyer's playing career, he worked as a coach and manager in the A's, Cubs, Twins and Padres organizations.

Back facts: Bobby Winkles was freshly fired from the Angels' managerial job when the 1975 set came out. He led Arizona State to the College World Series title in 1965, a team that included Rick Monday and Sal Bando, as well as Dyer.

Other blog stuff: I believe the site is back up to speed after Blogger's issues, except for the missing comments that Blogger says will be added by the weekend. If you see anything strange, let me know.

#487 - Astros/Preston Gomez

Card fact: The 1974 season was Preston Gomez's first with the Astros, although he does have a card as an Astro in the '74 Topps set.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. The people were so tiny!

What I think about this card now: Look at the man standing second from the left. Is he wearing a tuxedo?


Other stuff: Gomez lasted less than two years with Houston. After finishing fourth in the National League West in 1974, the Astros plunged to last in 1975 and Gomez was replaced by Bill Virdon.

Back facts: Both Ken Boswell and Jose Cruz are listed on the Astros checklist even though neither of them played for Houston in 1974. Both are airbrushed into their Astros uniforms (wait until you see the Cruz card).

Other blog stuff: Time to see where the Astros rank in terms of how well Topps represented the '74 Astros team in the '75 set.

The Astros used 35 players in 1974. Topps provided cards of 26 of them. That includes three players who were featured with their new teams, Bob Gallagher (Mets), Ollie Brown (Phillies) and Claude Osteen (Cardinals).

Topps didn't miss anyone significant from the '74 team. Johnny Edwards wasn't featured, but he caught in 50 games for Houston in the final season of his career.

So, 26 of the 35 players were featured for 74.29 percent, which is the same percentage as the Dodgers. Here is where the Astros rank:

1. Twins 81.25% of players featured
2. Tigers 78.37%
3. Orioles 78.13%
4. Dodgers 74.29%
4. Astros 74.29%
6. Giants 71.43%
7. Indians 71.11%
8. Royals 70.59%
9. Red Sox 70.27%
10. Angels 68.89%
11. Expos 68.29%
12. Brewers 66.67%
13. Cardinals 65.12%
14. White Sox 65.0%
15. Phillies 62.5%
16. Mets 62.16%
17. Pirates 61.5%
18. Padres 55.8%

#479 - Ken Boswell

Card fact: Ken Boswell is wearing an airbrushed Houston Astros cap. He was traded from the Mets on Oct. 29, 1974.

What I thought about this card then: I was oblivious to the airbrushing job. Also, I can't recall where I obtained this card in 1975, but I did own it. I must be getting old.

What I think about this card now: Not good. One of the least interesting cards in the set. If I can't even remember how I obtained it in '75 -- a year in which I was goofy over every card I got -- then you know it isn't that riveting.

Other stuff: Boswell played second base for the 1969 Miracle Mets, a fact that I didn't know until long after Boswell retired. I associated him completely with the Astros, even though that was at the tail end of his career. He came up with the Mets in 1967 and was playing regularly with them by '69. Boswell was a solid fielder, and in the 1969 NLCS, hit two home runs against the Braves.

Boswell continued to be the chief starter for the Mets through the 1972 season, but his offense tailed off in '73 and Felix Millan took over. Boswell was dealt to Houston for outfielder Bob Gallagher after hitting just .216 in 1974.

He was a backup with the Astros. His career ended after the 1977 season.

Back facts: Boswell's three pinch-hits in the 1973 World Series came in three at-bats. But I couldn't figure out whether he still holds the record.

Other blog stuff: Here is the original Boswell card that I pulled in 1975:

#473 - Ken McMullen

Card fact: You don't see too many close-ups of players wearing batting helmets from this time period. Usually, if they are wearing a helmet, they're involved in some sort of game action.

What I thought about this card then: I had the mini card. I thought the helmet was cool.

What I think about this card now: It doesn't really pertain to this card, but Ken McMullen may hold a Dodger card record. He played for L.A. on two different occasions. His first card for the Dodgers was in the 1964 set. He didn't have another card with the Dodgers until the 1973 set (and he's actually in an Angels uniform on that card). That's a gap of eight years between Dodger cards. I don't know if that's the longest gap for a Dodger player, but I can't think of anyone else right now.

Other stuff: McMullen came up with the Dodgers, but was traded a couple years into his major league career in the deal that also sent Frank Howard, Phil Ortega, Pete Richert and Dick Nen to the Senators in exchange for Claude Osteen and John Kennedy. McMullen became a consistent starter at third base for the Senators from 1965-69.

He was then traded to the Angels and started a couple of years for California. By the time he was shipped back to the Dodgers (in the deal that also brought Andy Messersmith to L.A.), he was a supporting player. The Dodgers had rising star Ron Cey at third base by 1973, so McMullen was a back-up.

In an extraordinarily sad development, McMullen played for the Dodgers in 1974 while his wife was losing a battle with cancer. She had been diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant, but refused treatment until after the baby was born. She died in '74.

McMullen later played with Oakland and Milwaukee, ending his career in 1977. After his playing career, he created an annual youth fund-raising golf tournament and served as a community liaison with the Dodgers.

Back facts: I love these old-fashioned baseball terms. I probably last heard someone call a left-hander a "portsider" when Joe Garagiola was calling games on television.

Other blog stuff: Two players in this set are celebrating birthdays today. Jim Rice is 58. Dick Allen is 69.

#411 - George Mitterwald

Card fact: Another dugout shot! This is the first card of George Mitterwald as a Cub (I refuse to count that traded thing in 1974). It also might be the only card of a player rubbing his eye, or inserting a contact, or whatever he's doing.

What I thought about this card: Didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: I'm fairly certain that is the Cub logo on Mitterwald's left sleeve. For a minute, I thought Topps was trying to disguise the fact that Mitterwald was wearing a Twins uniform, but the Twins didn't wear pinstripes in the mid-1970s.

Other stuff: Mitterwald, nicknamed "Baron von Mitterwald," was a middling catcher for the Twins and the Cubs. He played most of the games behind the plate for Minnesota in 1970, 71 and 73. When he was traded to the Cubs for Randy Hundley in the offseason, his playing time declined, even though he began his Chicago days with a bang.

In April of 1974, Mitterwald hit three home runs, including a grand slam in an 18-9 victory over the Pirates. He drove in eight runs. According to this report, he did it with a hangover.

Mitterwald didn't hit much after that and his career was done after the 1977 season. He became a manager in the minor leagues and was manager of the Duluth-Superior Dukes when Ila Borders became the first female professional pitcher with the team in 1997.

Back facts: I've never heard of a banjo hit. The fielder looks absolutely freaked out.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 2003, it was announced that the Baseball Hall of Fame game between major league teams would take place on a different weekend than the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for the first time in history. The reason was because of a conflict in the major league schedule. It marked the beginning of the end of the Hall of Fame game, which eventually became a casualty of MLB's schedule-tinkering and  teams' unwillingness to play an exhibition in midseason. Too bad.

#406 - Bob Gallagher

Card fact: This is the final Topps card of Bob Gallagher's career. He had just two Topps cards. The '74 card was the other one.

What I thought about this card then: I vaguely recall seeing this card somewhere and being somewhat unsettled by Gallagher's unruly hair and his stare off into the distance.

What I think about this card now: I was not going to categorize this card as "airbrushed," since the photo angle hides any Astros logo. But I think there is some funny business going on with Gallagher's jersey, so I'm saying it's airbrushed.

Other stuff: Gallagher, whose grandfather played in the majors and managed the Red Sox, played just four years with only 255 at-bats. He came up with the Red Sox, spent most of his time with the Astros, and was traded to the Mets in the Ken Boswell deal  in October 1974. He played just 33 games for the Mets.

I always got Gallagher confused with "Dirty Al" Gallagher, who played around the same time. The non-dirty Gallagher became a high school teacher after his playing career.

(EDIT: Bob Gallagher died Aug. 14, 2024 at age 77)

Back facts: Any card that has a cartoon of a hippopotamus on the back rocks.

Other blog stuff: I could say that Carlton Fisk or Ozzie Smith were born on this date. But instead I'm going to say Mario Mendoza was born on this date 60 years ago! The namesake of the Mendoza line has yet to appear on this blog. It's always nice to look forward to something.

#404 - Ted Sizemore

Card fact: This is the first time Ted Sizemore appears on a card with his familiar mustache. He stayed with it until the end of his major league career in 1980.

What I thought about this card then: I liked it a lot. Sizemore was one of my favorites for unknown reasons. He had the fortune of playing virtually his entire career for some of my all-time favorite teams -- the Dodgers, Cardinals, Phillies and Red Sox. There was only one year with the Cubs that fouled things up.

I remember pulling this card from a pack purchased during a trip to the drug store not long after school was let out for the summer. I considered myself very fortunate to have this card.

What I think about this card now: It's quite off-center.

Other stuff: Sizemore came up with the Dodgers and was named the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1969. But the Dodgers traded him away a year later to get Rich Allen. The trade did clear the way for Davey Lopes to take the second base position with L.A. (only after that experiment with Lee Lacy didn't work out). And the Cardinals had a starting second baseman for five seasons.

St. Louis traded Sizemore back to the Dodgers in 1976 in a deal for Willie Crawford. But he lasted only a year and was off to the Phillies in a deal for Johnny Oates. Sizemore finished out his career with the Cubs and the Red Sox.

After his career, he worked for the Rawlings glove company and is now the president for the Baseball Assistance Team, an MLB organization that provides assistance for former major, minor and Negro league players who are down on their luck.

Back facts: Sizemore must have hit second behind Brock a lot in 1974.

Other blog stuff: On this date in 1975, Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally were declared free agents, paving the way for free agency as we know it today.

#403 - Tom Buskey

Card fact: This is Tom Buskey's rookie card.

What I thought about this card then: I didn't see it.

What I think about this card now: Buskey always looks so sad on his baseball cards. I know, I know, he only had like six of them. But he looks sad on most of them.

Also, I believe Buskey is airbrushed into an Indians uniform. He was traded from the Yankees in late April of 1974.

Other stuff: Buskey was a career relief pitcher -- 258 games pitched in eight seasons and not a start among them. He began his career with the Yankees, but came over to the Indians in the famous trade that brought Chris Chambliss and Dick Tidrow to New York.

Buskey proved to be a reliable reliever for the Indians, setting what was then a team record for saves in a season with 17 in 1974. But after a couple of years, Buskey's ineffectiveness won him a trip to the minors. He eventually landed with the fledgling Blue Jays and pitched for them until ending his major league career in 1980.

Buskey died from a heart attack suffered at home at age 51 in 1998.

Back facts: One of Buskey's saves in 1974 was for the Yankees before he was traded. Also, Buskey gets a cartoon that is related to his team. Lucky guy.

Other blog stuff: Let's continue the Steve Garvey references for a second straight day. On this date 62 years ago, Garvey was born.

#361 - Dodgers/Walter Alston

Card fact: This is the 15th card in the set to feature the "brown-orange" color combination (not to be confused with the "orange-brown" combination). Out of those 15 cards, three have been Dodgers. So, the Dodgers represent one-fifth of the cards with this color combination, which suspiciously resembles the Giants' color combination. I am not putting it past Topps to pull something sneaky like this even way back in 1975.

What I thought about this card then: Naturally, I thought it was cool to see all of the Dodgers in one place. It was the one team card that meant something to me.

What I think about this card now: It is sad to see Walter Alston relegated to a tiny circle on the team card. Up until this point, Alston had received his own card in most of the sets since he became manager (his '62 Topps card is terrific, I have to feature it one day). I didn't know that when I was collecting in '75. Otherwise I would've been disappointed. Manager cards rule!

Other stuff: The Dodgers were coming off their first pennant victory and World Series appearance since 1966. After four straight seasons of finishing in second place in the N.L. West, L.A. had finally placed first and beaten Pittsburgh in the NLCS. They would go on to lose to Oakland in the World Series.

Alston was nearing the end of his 23 years as Dodger manager. The 1974 team would be his last World Series team, after taking the Dodgers to the Series in 1955, 56, 59, 63, 65 and 66. He retired in 1976 after signing 23-straight one-year contracts.

Back facts: This is a successful, veteran team so there wasn't a lot of trading or airbrushing going on with the Dodgers. But Jim Brewer, Willie Crawford and Don Sutton are the only connections (besides Alston) between the 1966 N.L. champs and the 1974 N.L. champs.

Other blog stuff: Time to figure out how well Topps represented the National League champs of 1974. Normally this gets a little tedious. But this one is going to be fun for me.

The Dodgers used just 35 players in 1974. That is tied for the second-least among the teams featured so far. Topps didn't leave out anyone big from the previous year. In fact, out of the players left out of the set, the one with the most at-bats had a whopping 18.

The player that didn't get a card who I found the most interesting is Charlie Manuel, the current Phillies manager. He played in four games for the 1974 Dodgers.

So, Topps featured 26 of the 35 players, which is pretty darn good. Here is where the Dodgers rank in comparison to other teams reviewed so far:

1. Tigers 78.37% of players featured
2. Orioles 78.13%
3. Dodgers 74.29%
4. Giants 71.43%
5. Indians 71.11%
6. Royals 70.59%
7. Red Sox 70.27%
8. Angels 68.89%
9. Expos 68.29%
10. Cardinals 65.12%
11. White Sox 65.0%
12. Phillies 62.5%
13. Pirates 61.5%
14. Padres 55.8%


Third place. I'm quite happy about that.

#332 - Fred Kendall

Card fact: I am regretting now that I did not add a label for players wearing glasses. That would have been a nifty fact today.

What I thought about this card then: Never saw it. The first Fred Kendall card I knew was his 1977 Topps card. We thought Kendall looked like a weird little gnome.

What I think about this card now: Kendall appears to be swinging a bat in a major league stadium, yet the grass doesn't look terribly well kept. Groundskeeping then just wasn't what it is today.

Other stuff: Fred Kendall was a member of the original 1969 San Diego Padres team. He was the last original member of the club, playing for the Padres for seven years until he was traded to the Indians in 1976 in the deal that brought George Hendrick to the Padres. A year later, he went to the Red Sox in the Dennis Eckersley deal.

Kendall was known as a good defensive catcher and a strong handler of pitchers. His hitting was only fair, as was customary of many catchers then, despite the arrival of Bench, Simmons, Sanguillen, etc.

After his career, he worked in sales and also was a coach in the minors and majors. I remember him as the manager of the Utica Blue Sox in the early 1990s. Kendall is the father of current Royals catcher Jason Kendall. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know Jason Kendall's father was Fred Kendall until halfway through Jason's career.

Back facts: I am assuming that home plate, prior to having five sides, was a square? I'm too lazy to look it up.

Speaking of laziness, it seems Topps couldn't find a lot to say about Kendall. "A good competitor"? Citing his first major league home run four years prior? I'll help out and add a bit more info: Kendall was voted the Padres' most valuable player in 1973. There you go.

Other blog stuff: With one day left in the voting, it looks like the brown-orange combo, which is featured here, will be called the "Reese's Peanut Butter Cup" combo. A good choice. I can see the Reese's wrapper when I look at the Kendall card.